Silver Bullets, Golden Guns
by Noirx
Summary: He stepped over the guns, gripped loosely in lifeless fingers. Bullet capsules that were strewed across the floor cracked under his heel, gleaming dimly. Crimson blood splattered every surface he could see, and the smell of burning flesh hung revolting in the air, filling his lungs whenever he inhaled. This was the world Haru lived in, as a vampire hunter. (Rating may change to M.)


A leaf, rusty orange and stiff from the arrival of autumn, drifted upon a cold breeze, its dry tip scratching against the cement ground. It was the only sound that disturbed the eerie silence of the street, seemingly abandoned apart from the scraps of litter that lined the roads. This was the bad side of the town, where cluttered stores full of junk and two-star restaurants emptied their trash and those living in the cruelest of lifestyles would glace at each other warily, only stopping to shake hands when they thought no one was looking, doing their hardest to simply make it another day. Above, the pale light of the moon glowed faintly from behind a thin, dark cloud, even blacker than the night sky it hung from. Hidden in the shadows, a figure silently walked through the alleyways, the revolting odor of rotting fruit and carcasses wafting through the freezing air. His steps were quiet; his heels clacking inaudibly as they struck against the concrete ground, as light as fallen snow. He moved quickly as though he was running from something, yet the silver weapon in his hand signified that he was the one playing the hunter in this bloody game.

A faint noise made him pause. To any other person, they wouldn't have heard it all, for the sound was no louder than the dropping of a pin. This man however, with senses honed to be sharper than a blade, knew it was much wickeder than that. It was the sound of one's life force being drained away savagely by a creature that should not exist.

Without hesitation, the male quickened his pace, breaking into a run. His movements were like a panther's, blending into the shadows as though he was one himself. Fingers clasped firmly around the gun's trigger, he turned the corner, into one of the several alleyways collected with dumpsters. It was much darker, the road before him black as it was between the two tall buildings, blocking the glow of the moon. Pressing his shoulder into the brick wall to navigate himself, though not so much so that his clothes sounded when it brushed against the red stone, he began to walk forward silently. As he reached the end, he saw that the road turned sharply to the right and into a more open area, where the light was still dim but was enough to see. Cautiously, he looked over the edge.

There he saw it, the monster. Its fangs and lips were covered with crimson, as metallic liquid dribbled down its chin and onto its prey's unconscious body. Pale eyelids were dropped as the beast attempted to regain its composure; the monster could not see him. This however, did not bring him much of an advantage, as Haru very well knew. Currently, the scent of the blood was overwhelming to the creature, causing waves of pleasure to wash over its body, distracting it with bliss. However, once it regained its focus, it could easily distinguish Haru's scent from the woman in his arms and pinpoint his location in less than a second. In the next, if he failed to react in time, the raven-haired man will have met his demise.

Haru's piercing gaze scanned the woman collapsed in the vampire's paper white hands. Golden tresses, silver in the darkness, spilled down her thin shoulder as her glazed, green eyes stared at the sky, the pale moonlight reflected on her glassy orbs. She seemed so young, at most in her early twenties. The hunter would not let her die tonight. Rather, her attacker would be the one to leave this world for the fiery depths of Hell awaiting it (or wherever bloodthirsty beasts like it went.)

Swiftly, Haru raised his gun, mind clear and sharp, and pulled the trigger. The vampire snapped his eyes open at the click and looked up to see the silver firearm pointed directly at it, and a millisecond later dropped the woman, bolting to its right. The gleaming bullet embedded itself deeply into its shoulder, causing a blood curdling shriek to erupt from the creature's lips. Mouth still dripping with blood and fangs stained burgundy, it lunged towards Haru with the ferocity of an enraged animal, lips pulled back to a snarl that promised pain and death. As it charged towards him, the ink-haired hunter imagined a giant dog with a foaming mouth.

Such a savage beast had to put down.

As the vampire's dagger-like claws stretched towards his throat, nails with blood caked underneath them pressing into the fragile flesh, Haru stretched out his arms and put the gun right to the vampire's forehead, the silver opening pressing into its dead flesh. Wine red eyes widened in disbelief as Haru pulled the trigger, and a thundering shot rang through the silent night.

The vampire fell to the floor with a quiet thud, a gaping hole in the center of its forehead. No blood spilled out, for the beast never had any running through its veins. Panting slightly, the hunter reached up and delicately pressed his fingers against his neck, feeling his pulse throb quickly underneath his fingertips. The vampire had managed to break the first few layers of skin, most of the cuts only stinging and becoming red. However, one was slashed deeply enough for a drop of blood to escape, flowing down the soft skin of the man's neck. Disgusted, Haru swiped it off, ripping out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe away the red liquid from his hand and throat. Once satisfied, he threw it upon the corpse in front on it, the white fabric landing upon the vampire's face, covering its unseeing red eyes.

Suddenly, Haru became aware of a new sound. He heard a figure approach from behind him at an almost inhumanly speed. His fingers once again tightened around his trigger, as he stiffened in preparation. "Haruka-senpai!"

The ocean eyed man immediately relaxed and spun around, careful to not accidentally step on the corpse. A blue haired man with red spectacles came to a stop before him, his breathing even despite traveling at such a speed. Behind him were a short blond and a tall brunet, both panting slightly.

"Geez, Rei! Wait for us next time, why don't you?" The blond whined, his lips lifting to form a pout.

Rei pushed up his glasses, a sigh escaping through his parted lips. "I told you, Nagisa, don't follow me if you can't keep up."

Makoto ignored the bickering duo and stepped towards the corpse that had landed on its side, Haru's eyes following his every move. He nodded in approval after a brief inspection; his green irises shone in the angelic light, for now the cloud had drifted away from the moon. "Clean and quick as always, Haru." He lifted his gaze from the fallen monster, and leveled it to his partner's. "You didn't get hurt, did you?"

Haru raised his hand and pressed it once again to his throat, murmuring in reply, "A few scratches, but nothing more."

Makoto narrowed his eyes in worry, leaning down closer to his friend to see the wounds more clearly, "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Knowing he would not get any more about out of the man, Makoto just shook his head in faint exasperation and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box. Whipping out a match, he slashed it against the side of the container, causing the tip to spark into a bright flame. Throwing it casually, the blazing match landed on the monster's side, the fire spreading quickly over the thin clothing that the vampire wore. Sliding the essential box back into his pocket, he aimed another smile at Haru. "Ready to go home?"

Haru nodded, and silently, they walked out of the shadows and towards their friends. Rei already had the woman in his arms, with Nagisa standing closely by. Together, they walked away from the alleyways, ignoring the familiar scent of burning flesh that filled their lungs with every step.

* * *

"Her name is Mayumi Tai. Female. Age 24. Blood-type A."

A beautiful woman with short, dark chocolate locks looked down at her clipboard, her fingers gently lifting up and top page. "She was a prostitute, and was headed back to her apartment after an appointment before she was attacked. Her body was littered with bruises and cuts, which were most likely inflicted by her customer. The vampire must have been attracted to the blood that flowed through her wounds, for she did not have time to treat them."

Makoto, hunched over in a chair, twisted his face slightly with an expression of sorrow and anger for the woman that was lying unconsciously five feet away from him. Rei, who sat besides his green-eyed friend, looked away from her, cheeks dusted slightly with a pale pink at the knowledge of her occupation but his fists clenched in the same rage. "How terrible," he muttered.

Nagisa sat at the end of the bed Mayumi rested upon, indifferent but only because everything she was saying went soaring past his fluffy, blonde head. The moment that Ama stopped to catch her breath, he swooped down to strike. Pouncing on the young woman and nearly knocking the clipboard out of her grasp, he whined, "Ne, ne, Ama-chan, when is Haru-chan's grandma coming back?"

After composing herself, Ama pushed the tiny blonde back, a disapproving frown forming on her pink lips. "Geez, Nagisa! The president is at an important meeting right now; she will be back soon."

Haru looked away from the wall he had been staring at once he heard his grandma's title. Oriko Nanase was the leader of the Iwatobi Organization, as the oldest living relative of the founder, Takumi Iwatobi. One day, when she is forced to abandon this life of hers, Haru would be the next to be bestowed the title of President.

He will forever dread the arrival of that day.

Still deep in thought, he almost didn't notice that the door swung open, and in walked an elderly woman. She had a very dignified posture, her back as straight as a board and her shoulders pulled back. Gray hair streaked with white was combed back tightly and gathered to neat bun on the back of head without a single strand out of place. Years ago, when she was taller than him, Haru found her intimidating. Today, he still does, despite being at least a head taller than her now. The aged woman had an air about her that captured everybody's attention the moment she stepped into a room, knowing whenever she meant business.

Entering behind her was a man with tangerine colored hair and bright red eyes. In his right hand was a shot, the needle glinting in the white ceiling lights.

Ama stuttered, her brown orbs widening in surprise. "P-President?" she asked, "What are you doing here? The meeting isn't supposed to be over until another hour!"

The old lady shrugged, brushing off the exclamation by flapping a wrinkled hand lazily. "I got bored," she replied simply, strolling to the nearest chair and settling into it. "The chair members went on and on about the latest vampire activities, though nothing seemed out of the usual. There had been an increase in vampire attacks in the northern and eastern areas, though not so much so that it should be considered a threat that must be immediately addressed."

She straightened her skirt, smoothing out the creases. "Also, Shintaro is there in my place, so it should be fine," Rei stiffened slightly at the sound of his brother's name, but no one but Haru noticed.

"Besides," Oriko continued, "I only have so much time left in this world, and I don't want to waste it on boring meetings anyways."

"President..." Ama murmured sadly, clutching the clipboard a bit closer to her chest.

"Now, now, President Nanase," a different voice interrupted, "don't you go around sounding as though you are going to die on us the next day. We all know that you would rather be bitten than go down without a fight." The orange haired man smirked as he snapped on white rubber gloves, picking up the shot that he placed on the counter and holding it between his index and middle fingers.

"Hm. That's true, Goro." Oriko chuckled.

Goro walked towards the bed Mayumi slept on, which was similar to the kinds in medical clinics. Pulling out an alcohol wipe packet, he ripped it open and slid out the damp square cloth. Gently, he pushed aside the woman's sunlight tresses and thoroughly wiped her left temple, fingers light against the tender flesh. Without even looking, Goro threw it in a nearby trash can and with a steady hand, punctured the needle into her skin. Pushing down the syringe, he inserted a clear liquid into her skull before straightening himself.

"Alright, I'll call someone to take her home now," he declared, stripping off his gloves. Nagisa chirped a farewell as Goro left the room, Ama trailing behind him. Makoto straightened his back and faced Haru's grandmother, asking, "Would you like something to drink, President?"

"Some green tea would be nice, thank you." Makoto nodded with a smile and looked at the others. "What about you guys?"

"Tea as well," replied Rei, while Haru murmured a quiet, "Water."

"I want banana milk!" Nagisa exclaimed, prancing towards the tall brunette. "I'll help you get them, Mako-chan!"

"Thank you, Nagisa." And with that, the brunet and blond departed the room, leaving their other two partners behind.

A silence fell over the room once the door shut, closing with a small click. Rei shifted in his chair, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable and debating whether or not to chase after the two. He glanced over and Haru, hoping the man would attempt to start a conversation, but his sliver of hope was immediately crushed when he saw that Haru was once again staring at the wall, a bored expression plastered on his face. Then again, seeing how it was Haru, he shouldn't have had any in the first place. The president, while she did not blatantly display it like her grandson, seemed to be disinterested in making small talk as well. Finally, Rei accepted the fact that he must be the one to speak first.

Until, much to his surprise, the president spoke up. Rei met her eyes and immediately a small shiver ran down his spine; in his relief he had forgotten something. The president had eyes as cold and hard as ice. They seemed to piece into his soul, reading his thoughts and stealing his darkest secrets. "You should talk to Shintaro more, Rei."

The red-spectacled man immediately stiffened, narrowing his eyes and directing them towards the floor. Oriko stared at him, waiting a few seconds before deciding to press on. "He finished all his work early as usual, so he should be free tonight. Maybe you could go out with him to din-"

"I will be busy," Rei interrupted, clenching his fists momentarily, "Nagisa wanted to take me to the new ramen shop that opened up near his house tonight."

The old woman sighed, shaking her head slightly. "All right. Maybe another day then."

Though still facing the wall, Haru's shifted his eyes to look at Rei. The man's violet gaze had darkened, eyes still firmly cast onto the tiles under his shoes. His grandma who sat across from the teen looked exasperated, crossing her arms silently over her chest. The elderly woman understood where the boy was coming from; she had seen it many times in her workers. However, she also knew that avoidance wouldn't change anything. Glancing at her grandson, she realized he was watching her and made eye contact. They held each other's gazes for a moment, the woman trying to portray her thoughts to him. _Help me?_ He quickly broke off, staring lazily once again at the wall, firmly denying her requests. Frustrated, Orika leaned against the back of the chair, letting out another sigh. _Teenagers_, she thought, _they are all so troublesome these days._

A few more tense seconds later, the door smug open, entering a very cheerful Nagisa and a smiling Makoto. The tension was chased away immediately, as Rei straightened up and Haru snapped his head towards Makoto, staring with desire. Or rather, at the precious bottle of water in his arms.

"Here you go, Mrs. President," the tall man said, handing her a bottle of green tea. Oriko smiled, reaching over to take it from his hands. "Thank you very much, Makoto." _Well, at least I can count on one of them to not drive me insane._

Nagisa practically hopped over to Rei, shoving a different bottle of tea in his arms. "Here!"

Rei, who was momentarily shocked by the boy's sudden actions, quickly regained his composure and thanked him. Twisting the cap, he opened it with a quick snap of his wrist and took a sip. Once the amber liquid touched his tongue he spluttered, half swallowing it and half spitting it out. Coughing, he adjusted his glasses, peering at the label on the tea bottle. "Nagisa!" he scolded, realizing the problem, "You got me sweet tea again! I told you, I don't like my tea sweet!"

"But sugar is good for the soul!" Nagisa pouted, sipping his banana milk. "Your soul is already so ancient already, Rei-chan. You're like an old man."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Makoto chuckled at their quarrel before handing Haru the water. "Here," he said.

Haru took it gratefully from his hands, though his appreciation didn't show on the stoic mask he wore. "Thank you," he murmured, immediately taking a sip.

Nodding, Makoto sat down beside him, taking a drink from his coke. Nagisa looked up at them, ignoring Rei's ranting about the bad effects sugar had on your body and about the good ones herbal tea had. "Hey, Haru, Makoto," he chirped, not acknowledging Rei's shout of _Are you listening to me?!_ "Wanna have dinner with Rei and me tonight? I'm taking him to this new ramen shop that opened on the corner of my street last week. It's going to be fun!"

Makoto smiled, "Sure, I'm free. How about you, Haru?"

The dark-haired boy just nodded, still drinking from his bottle. Oriko smiled at the four of them, whom she has always treated as though they were her own grandchildren, and opened her mouth to say something until the door opened. The chattering ceased as everyone looked towards the entrance, seeing a tall man dressed in all black standing at the door way. "Pardon me," he said, bowing briefly, "I am here to take the victim back to her home."

"Good, thank you," Oriko replied, standing up. The others did the same as the man walked across the room, coming to a stop before the bed Mayumi slept upon. As he picked her up bridal style, Oriko dismissed the hunters. "You may all go now. Remember not to stay out too late, you have work again tomorrow."

"Yes, President!" Nagisa chirped with a bright grin on his face. "We'll see you tomorrow then!"

Haru and Makoto both gave their own goodbyes, Haru's ending with "grandma." Rei, who was not rude enough as to leave without a farewell, simply nodded at her and waved his hand, not saying a word. The boys all left promptly, their voices fading as they walked down the hallway. Oriko gave a nod of approval to the man that exited behind them, Mayumi in his arms, still limb and pale. Once they all left, she examined the room quickly, making sure nothing was out of place. After confirming that nothing was, she flipped the light switch, darkness consuming everything but the items that the light of the hallway touched. Shutting the door behind her, she headed the opposite direction from the retreating figures, towards her office. _The meeting should be wrapping up about now, _she thought, her heels clacking against the stone floor,_ Shintaro will be sending me a summary soon._

* * *

The air had been cold that evening, not cold enough for their breaths to become puffs of fog whenever they exhaled, but cold enough to be snuggling into scarves and upturned coat collars, so the warmth of the ramen shop was greatly appreciated. There weren't that many people, seeing how the place was still mostly new, but they preferred it that way. Taking a seat at the counter, they took off their coats and put them on the backs of their seats before telling the kind-looking cook took their orders.

"Oh, Haru," Makoto spoke up, causing Haru to tear his eyes away from the appetizing mackerel that the cook was slicing up to add to his ramen, "I can't walk you home today. My parents' have night shifts tonight so I will have to take care of Ran and Ren. Is that okay?"

Haru nodded, "That's fine."

"Thanks. I'll be sure to walk you home tomorrow."

"Ehh? How romantic, Mako-chan," Nagisa teased, quirking an eyebrow, "Maybe I should walk you home, Rei."

"That would be extremely unnecessary and bothersome!"

"But a fair maiden like you has to be careful when walking alone at night!"

"I thought I was an old man not too long ago?!"

The rest of the night carried on the same way, filled with laughter, smiles, and glances of amusement from Haru. The noodles were delicious, as declared by Nagisa repeatedly throughout the evening. They were thin but plentiful, with large slices of beef (or mackerel) soaked in the salty, aromatic broth. Green onions were sprinkled on top for extra flavor, along with a choice of vegetables, usually spinach. Eggs, still warm, slumbered near the bottom of the bowl, mostly still runny. They spilled their golden yolk into the soup when prodded with the chopsticks, making the flavor even more mouth-watering. As the four enjoyed their meals, the usual banter and random topics escaped their lips through bites.

"Aliens are real!" pouted Nagisa with a mouthful noodles.

"Of course not; and stop talking when eating! It is completely illogical. None of the planets in this galaxy have planets capable of supporting life, nor the ones near the Milky Way! If there was one, it would have to be more than two million light years aw-"

"Ah, crap!" exclaimed Makoto loudly, interrupting Rei. He was frowning at his watch, a hand tousled in distress in his brown lock, "I need to be home in five minutes!"

The other three glanced at the clock; indeed, it had gotten very late. It was about 9:55, and they had class early in the morning, then work till the evening. Simultaneously, they all stood up, adding back on their layers of clothes and handing the needed amount of money to the cook. The man bid them farewell and asked them to come back soon, a kind smile on his face, in which Nagisa replied with a cheery, "We will!"

The air was colder than it was when they entered the shop, due to the absence of the sun. "Bye bye, Haru-chan!" chirped Nagisa, waving enthusiastically even though Haru was standing right beside him. Makoto and Rei gave their own departing words as Haru replied with a brief, "Goodbye," and turned right, walking down the road alone. Behind him, the trio continued down the left, continuing the conversation that they left off in the shop.

The blue-eyed man dug his hands deeper into the warm pockets of his jacket, exhaling deeply into his muffler. It had gotten late, and few people were roaming the streets at this time of night. Only one of two walked by, both on the other side of the silent street. He gazed up at the moon; it was full tonight, basking the land below in an unearthly glow of silver. There was not a star in the sky, causing it to appear like an ocean of darkness. It stretched on for miles and miles, never ending. When he was younger, he would sit with his grandma outside, exchanging stories and pointing out constellations; he recalled her calling it a sky of endless possibilities. Staring at its vastness, Haru began to ponder what it would be like if he wasn't himself. What if he wasn't born into this body that was given to him? What would have changed if that event never occurred, if it were somehow avoided, if he were never forced onto the path that was chosen by those other than him? Who would he have been then, under this eternal of sky?

He turned the corner, eyes still focused on moon, and suddenly rammed into something. Clumsily, he stumbled back, eyes widening in shock. The man before him stared back, seeming to be equally as stunned. As their gazes connected, a jolt ran through Haru's body, travelling down his back unnervingly like a charge of electricity. The man's eyes were red. A deep, dark red that no human could be genetically born with. His face was white and seemed to illuminate under the moon's glow, making him appear angelic. However, Haru knew immediately this man was no angel.

No, he wasn't even a man. He was a vampire.

* * *

A/N: And here it is, my first Free! fanfic. Not sure if you noticed but I got a bit lazy at the end; sorry about that. I just really wanted to get this finished and put it online, I'll try to work harder on the next chapter. I had this idea since last year when the first season was out, but never wrote it because by then it had already ended. Now that the second season is out, I was motivated to finally put it down on paper. Of course, I added Sousuke and Momotarou to the story as well. I can't wait to see how they will affect the story, especially Sousuke.


End file.
